


the price we pay

by impsy



Category: Indiana Jones Series
Genre: Angst, Break Up, F/M, Indy is kind of a dick, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 20:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/601638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/impsy/pseuds/impsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Indiana Jones is taking advantage of his youth and freedom when he meets Marion Ravenwood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the price we pay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> Angst, angst, and Indy being an asshole (as implied in Raiders). Hope you enjoy, happy holidays! :)

He doesn't know who she is, the first time he sees her.

They're at a bar, a private party, but "private" apparently means the entirety of the Chicago archaeology department. Despite how many people Professor Ravenwood has introduced him to, for every familiar face he sees, Indiana meets two more that he doesn't recognize.

She's sitting at a table by herself and he can't understand why, not with those gorgeous doe eyes and her pretty yellow sundress, her dark hair and slender fingers drawing meaningless shapes across the scuffed-up tabletop.

He's young and his life since leaving home has been success after success, praise and scholarships and "you're going to go far, Indiana." And along with that, all the beer his father never let him drink, with friends his father never let him get close to, all the mistakes his father never let him make. He's making up for it now, and then some, but with Professor Ravenwood patting him on the shoulder and smiling down at him with fondness he never saw in his own father's eyes and his "boys will be boys," he can do no wrong.

He doesn't think, now, that his father may have been right, that he had Indy's best interests and his future in mind. He doesn't really think about anyone else, not much at all, and with this thought nowhere near his mind, he strolls over to the table of the pretty girl and knows, with all the confidence of the young and handsome, that she'll fall for him.  
"Buy you a drink?"

She wasn't quite as unaware of his presence as he'd thought, as she just looks up at him and quirks an eyebrow. "Open bar, remember?"

He returns the grin, trying and failing not to show his surprise. "That line usually works better."

She laughs and turns to face him, one arm slung over the back of her chair. "On college girls?"

"You aren't one, huh?"

"Nope." Her eyes twinkle with mischief and she doesn't elaborate, so he doesn't ask.

"That mean you're not interested?"

"I didn't say that." She grins again, and he offers a hand to help her out of the chair, but she shakes her head.

"Rather stay over here, if you don't mind."

Indy glances over his shoulder at the mostly-male crowd, all of whom are definitely older than this girl. "Not a fan of shop talk?"

"Oh, the subject's fine," she says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It's the people I don't really want to be around."

"Oh, so it's archaeologists you can't stand."

"Something like that."

He folds his arms over his chest and raises an eyebrow. "So what are you doing at this party? Much less talking to me."

"Probably making a mistake." She grinned. "We'll have to see if you're worth it."

He laughs and holds out a hand. "Indiana Jones."

"Quite a name you've got there," she smiles. "I'm Marion."

"What are you drinking, Marion?"

"Whatever you're having."

"You sure?"

Her eyes crinkle in the corners as she looks up at him. "Surprise me."

Three drinks later, he's the one who's surprised, as she tosses back the whiskey almost easier than he did, only giving him a smug expression when he raises his eyebrows at her.

Then she slammes her glass on the table, her eyes glinting with purpose, and climbs into his lap.

It was always going to end with her yanking him forward by the collar of the only suit jacket he owned and kissing him, until they were interrupted.

But he didn't expect the awkward throat-clearing to come from his mentor.

"I see you've met my daughter," Professor Ravenwood says.

***

After that, Indy knows he can't pull his usual stunt and tumble the girl into bed before never calling her again.

And for a while, he's fine with that. He writes papers while she reads novels and leans her head on his shoulder. He studies and she helps him, quizzing him with the knowledge she's gained from her genius father.

Who approves of their relationship. His smiles are a little hesitant, sometimes, and Indy catches him watching them, though Ravenwood looks away or pretends to be doing something else when Indy tries to meet his eyes.

"He warned me about you, you know," Marion says one night as she curls up against him.

He makes a noise of feigned interest, his gaze fixed on the book in front of him. "Who?"

"My father."

That got his attention. "What'd he say?"

"What's it matter? None of it's true." Marion shrugs. "He doesn't think we'll last. But he doesn't know you. Not like I do."

She snuggles against him, her eyes closing in bliss as she rests one arm across his chest, and he resists the urge to grab his clothes and head for the hills. No, he couldn't do that, couldn't escape and get back to his life of indulgence, not with Marion so hopelessly, helplessly in love with him.

Not unless she wasn't.

So he left.

Not all at once. No, this relationship had a slow death, as Indy studied late in the library, accepted more invitations to visit friends out of the city,went on more trips abroad for field work.

And Marion was always happy to see him when he returned to Chicago, but the light in her eyes seemed to dim a little each time he didn't run to her as quick as she ran to him, and her father stood in the doorway watching with cold eyes and crossed arms, saying nothing.

Then one day, he didn't go back at all.

There were letters, of course. At first. And then, those, too, ended, and Indy was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice.

It was weeks, months, years later that he realized what he'd done, what he'd thrown away in his haste, and when he walks up those steps to see her - why, he's not sure. To apologize? He doesn't know, but he feels like he should.

But it's her father who answers the door.

"She's gone, Indiana," he says, shaking his head. "I don't know what you want, but you won't find it here. Just... just go."

So he goes. He goes to Europe and South America and Asia and Africa, and he keeps looking for something that he wonders if he'll ever be able to find.


End file.
